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Installation Tip: Water?!

Category:BlogsPosted:05-07-2014 06:50 PMViews: 9638
Synopsis: RUMOR: After rubbing the decal, if you spray water all over the application tape when installing, the water will “release” the vinyl decal off of the sticky tape and make it easier to install. So, true or false?

Hi Trading Phrases fans!

We heard a very interesting decal installation tip the other day, so we thought that we’d try it out to see if it was true!

RUMOR: After rubbing the decal, if you spray water all over the application tape when installing, the water will “release” the vinyl decal off of the sticky tape and make it easier to install. So, true or false?

We wanted to try it and see if it made a difference, so we devised an experiment. We would install two decals of the same design in slightly different colors, but the exact same size and age, on the exact same wall, just minutes apart. The only difference would be that the second one would get a liberal dose of water all over the application tape from a spray bottle before installing it. We used the decal LA004 in the 36 x 11 size. They were about 4 weeks old when we installed them.

So, here's some pictures from our initial "dry" install...

Overall, that one installed beautifully. A bit of the N in "Laundry" stuck at first (you can see that in the picture on the left of the second row above), but we just put the tape back down a bit, rubbed, and it came right off the tape. It installed just as well as we tell our customers our decals will!

So, here's the run-down of our "wet" install You need these tools:

In addition to your installation tool and spray bottle full of tap water, please have a level, cloth rag, and masking tape on hand! We forgot to take a picture of those. First, we just put the decal up as usual. We made sure that it was level and stuck to the wall, then rubbed it all over.

Then, we sprayed it with water from our spray bottle. You don't need to get it sopping wet, but so make sure to get the entire piece of application tape wet. We ran a hand over it after spraying to make sure water got all over it.

Please remove anything from the wall and surrounding area that could get water damage before doing this. Also confirm that a bit of water won't hurt your paint! Get the tape wet enough that it might start to drip..

The application tape will become just a bit more translucent, as you can see below.

We waited a few more second before removing the tape. This was the moment of truth. Would it work?

It actually went really well! There was a bit of the fine lines on the S in "loads" that wanted to come with the tape (as you can see on the picture on the right in the first row above), but we just put the tape back down a bit, rubbed, and it came right off as usual. It did seem to make it a little bit easier to install.

The only thing to really note is that the tape was much more flimsy when we were pulling it off than usual. It didn't rip, but the consistency was definitely different than usual, so putting the tape back over the S in "loads" was a bit more difficult than usual.

So the verdict? Inconclusive. It was easier, sure, but not by much. A tiny bit of the decal still wanted to go with the tape, as can happen sometimes. But if you're having trouble getting your decal to want to stick to your wall, I would definitely try this!

So, if you are having installation troubles (which is rare, but can sometimes happen), you can either use our hairdryer trick or try the "water spray" method (which is this!). You can also call us at 800-615-6473 and we'd be happy to help you! Our customer service line is open Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 5 PM EST. You can also e-mail us anytime at info@tradingphrases.com.

And just so you all know, Trading Phrases always offers free shipping on orders over $75, free color samples, and a free practice design and installation tool are included with every order! Don’t forget that our friendly customer service staff is always available via e-mail and phone to help you out with your trickiest gift-giving problems! See our contact information above!

Comments on Installation Tip: Water?!

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And don't get us started about the variations in quality of the vinyl that comes from China. Suffice it to say that your mileage may vary on those printed decals you found in the clearance bin.

The photo below shows a typical printed decal with a clear background contrasted with a cut decal on the same wall. The thickness is the same (about the width of 3 coats of paint), but the printed decal shows the sheen of the background vinyl even where there is space between the letters. If you have a multi color design or a photo or colored art, then we will happily print your decal. For most home applications, we recommend cut decals over printed ones.

Our Measurements: Please note, most of our decals come in a variety of sizes and are generally measured in inches as length/width x height/tall. If you need a specific size (or change to a design), please contact us and we will do our best to accommodate you. Our largest cutting machines can handle widths of up to 48" wide (and 50 yards long), giving us the ability to handle giant commercial and home decor designs. Have questions about measurements? Shoot us an email and we'll get back to you asap!

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